You Can't Understand My Pain
by Biscuit15
Summary: Itachi is suicidal and no one knows how to help him. After a suicide attempt gone wrong, can Sasuke help his brother open up to him or make things worse? Uchihacest MadaIzu ItaSasu suicide themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Before you read this, there are a few things to warn you about. This is going to be an UCHIHACEST! If I DO decide to go along with it, it will be both ItaSasu and MadaIzu.**

**If you do not like incest or yaoi, please do not flame as I'll only fishnap Kisame to put it out with his water style jutsus.**

"Good morning, boys." Madara greeted his two beloved nephews as they entered the kitchen, yawning and rubbing at their eyes. "How did you sleep?"

Sasuke yawned again and smiled happily at his uncle. "Good, oji-san. You?"

"Fine, Sasuke-kun." Madara smiled back, reaching out and ruffling Sasuke's spiky hair affectionately. "Thank you for asking. How about you, Itachi-kun? How was your sleep?"

Itachi just stared blankly at Madara with exhausted eyes.

Madara frowned - his oldest nephew had had another restless night and he hadn't even realised. The oldest Uchiha felt terrible, but he knew that there was nothing he could do now.

"Itachi-kun, if you are still tired, please go back to bed." Madara said softly, concern in his voice. "I am sorry for waking you up so early again."

"…" Itachi didn't answer – he just slumped over the dining table and closed his eyes with a soft sigh.

Sasuke looked up at his uncle with hurt eyes, not knowing who else to turn to.

Madara knew that Sasuke didn't understand what had happened to his brother, and he probably never would – neither Madara nor his younger brother, Izuna, could understand very much themselves. All they knew was that Itachi had changed.

Itachi had changed from a loving, happy child to a depressed young man on suicide watch. Madara had taken him to countless doctors but nothing they did for him had worked. Madara was terrified for the twenty-one-year-old - said man had tried to commit suicide many times before and Itachi had wound up in the hospital with doctors fighting to save his life.

"Itachi-kun?" Madara gently shook Itachi's shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Itachi-kun, you'll hurt your back sleeping like that…"

"Hn…" Itachi just grunted at the concern in his uncle's voice – it was clear that right now was one of those times where he just couldn't bring himself to care about anything at all.

Madara sighed, placing his arms underneath the young man's belly and chest. He lifted Itachi up and carried him into the living room, laying him down on the couch. He knelt down and stroked Itachi's hair a few times before placing a loving kiss on the younger Uchiha's forehead. When Itachi only closed his eyes once again, Madara sighed and stood back up.

Once Madara had returned to the kitchen to continue fixing breakfast for the three of them, he was just in time to see Sasuke hurriedly wipe away tears. He frowned – he hated seeing Sasuke so upset because of Itachi. He had tried everything he could to help both Sasuke and Itachi, but it was all in vain.

Madara leant down to hug Sasuke tightly, trying to soothe his youngest nephew.

It's going to be okay…" Madara whispered, allowing Sasuke to cry into him.

"What happened to my aniki!" Sasuke sobbed, returning the embrace. "Madara-oji-san…"

"Hush, Sasuke-kun…" Madara pulled the closest chair out and sat down, pulling his nephew onto his lap and holding him.

There had to be something that could help Itachi! There just had to be!

Madara refused to let Itachi fall further into his depression, and if the cure for Itachi was out there somewhere, he would go through hell and back, even if it meant getting battered and bruised along the way – he just wanted Itachi to be happy once again.

Madara loved his family far too much to allow them to suffer as much as Itachi was suffering – and one way or another, Madara was going to fix it.


	2. Chapter 2

Madara hated leaving Itachi home alone but he had no choice - he had a business to run with his best friend and he couldn't afford to let it go downhill as it was their only source of income. Sasuke was already at school so he couldn't leave the boy home to keep an eye on Itachi.

Itachi was lying on his bed, staring at the far wall, and this was made Madara worry the most – he tended to do that before an emotional breakdown.

Madara didn't know of anyone who could look after Itachi for him today because the only people Madara trusted were either away on holidays or working for him today already. He sighed at these thoughts - there was nothing that he could do today, he supposed. He couldn't miss work at any rate.

Madara walked slowly to his nephew's room, knocking on the door before he pushed it open and stepped in.

"Itachi-kun?" Madara asked as he walked in to sit on the bed beside his nephew.

"…" Itachi made no sign to show that he had heard Madara as he only continued to stare at the wall.

Madara sighed sadly and reached out, grabbing Itachi's hand and squeezing it.

"I have to go to work, Itachi-kun." Madara said softly. "I'll be back tonight. Is there anything you would like? I can bring you back something if you want it."

"…" Itachi hadn't even blinked.

Madara sighed again and leant down to kiss Itachi on the temple, knowing that the younger wasn't going to respond. He stood up to leave the room but he almost gasped in surprise as his nephew's cold hand grabbed his own. The older male looked down at the younger and almost cried at the look of fear in Itachi's eyes.

"Please don't leave me, oji-san…" Itachi whimpered. "Can I come to work with you today? I don't want to be alone…"

Madara checked his watch - waiting for Itachi to get ready would make him very late, but… Itachi was very sick mentally, so who was he to say no if it would benefit the younger in some way? No one else would mind in the least, so what was the harm?

Madara smiled weakly and nodded, reaching out to brush Itachi's hair out of the younger's face. "Of course you can. I'll wait for you to get ready. Try not to be too long, okay?"

Itachi nodded and climbed off the bed without a word. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, not sparing a glance back at his uncle.

Madara heard the shower turn on and he headed down the stairs to make a hot chocolate for Itachi. He grabbed the phone and rang his work, informing the other owner that he wouldn't be in for a while because Itachi had decided at the last minute that he wanted to come. As expected, he received a hearty laugh and was told that it would be fine.

As Madara was explaining all of this, he had finished making the hot chocolate. He hung up the phone and left both the drink and the handset on the kitchen counter for when Itachi would come down himself. He headed down into the living room and flicked the television on. Itachi usually took a while in the shower so Madara had a while to kill as he waited for his nephew.

After almost an hour of waiting for Itachi to get out of the shower, Madara grew worried - Itachi didn't usually stay in for more than twenty minutes, but he had been in there for almost twice that time – and that was cause for alarm when it came to Itachi because there was a chance that he had done something to himself once again.

Madara turned the TV off and made his way upstairs to check on the younger male. He could hear that the shower was still running, so Itachi shouldn't have left the bathroom just yet. Once he had made it there, he stood outside the door, biting his lip - almost too scared to open the door in fear of what he could find inside.

"Itachi-kun?" Madara finally worked up the courage and knocked on the door but the younger Uchiha didn't respond, causing Madara to gulp in anxiousness.

Madara tried the door handle and he was relieved to find that Itachi had not locked it today. He pushed the door open and when he stepped in, he found Itachi sitting on the floor of the shower – curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth in distress once again.

"Itachi-kun…" Madara didn't know what to say as he fought to keep his tears at bay - nothing hurt worse than seeing his beloved nephew suffering like this.

Itachi didn't look at Madara, but he spoke for once – something Itachi rarely did in moments like these. "Oji-san…"

"Itachi-kun, please talk to me…" Madara begged softly, walking slowly to the shower and opening the door. He pulled his nephew into a hug. "I only want to help you… I can't stand seeing you like this… It's so painful…"

Itachi hugged his uncle back tightly, sobbing into his chest desperately. Neither Uchiha cared that he was soaking wet and naked, pressed up against Madara's body, because all that mattered in this moment was that Itachi needed to be comforted once more.

When Itachi calmed down only minutes later in Madara's comforting embrace, Madara turned the shower off and helped Itachi into his own room.

Madara dressed his nephew and brushed and blow-dried Itachi's hair for the younger male before taking the younger downstairs and preparing a light breakfast - he knew that Itachi would hardly eat anything. Tipping out the now-cold hot chocolate that Madara had left sitting on the bench, Madara prepared a fresh one for Itachi.

It didn't take very long before they were on their way to Madara's business.

-LINEBREAK-

Itachi was silent as he followed his uncle into the retail store that Madara and his best friend-slash-rival, Senju Hashirama, ran together.

"Itachi-kun," Madara spoke gently, holding the front door open for his nephew once they had arrived, "would you like to stay with me today or out the back instead?"

"…" Itachi was silent once more as he walked past his uncle and Madara sighed again, though he knew that he should've expected as much.

"I would like to know what you want to do before I put my things away, Itachi-kun…" Madara said softly, letting go of the door and walking after Itachi - hurt in both his voice and his expression.

"…Hn…" Itachi just tensed worse than he already was and kept his head down as he walked out to the lockers in the backroom.

Madara sighed for the hundredth time that morning but he knew that it wasn't poor Itachi's fault that he was like this. He had a feeling that he knew what had happened to Itachi to do this to him, but not only did he not feel comfortable talking about such a thing, he wanted Itachi to be the one to start the explanation himself - he was terrified that if his suspicions were wrong, it would only make things harder for the young man, and that was the last thing that they needed.

As they walked down the middle of the store, things were silent until the two Uchiha reached the backroom.

Once Madara had put his belongings away in his locker, he had turned to leave the small tearoom and tell Hashirama that he had finally arrived, but he was stopped when Itachi grabbed his sleeve, holding on tightly and looking up at Madara with fearfully wide eyes.

"Please," Itachi begged, whimpering with teary eyes, "don't leave me, oji-san… Please!"

Madara looked at his nephew with pity, trying not to cry – how could he _not _cry looking into those beautiful onyx eyes tinged with all sorts of negative emotion? He leant down and hugged Itachi tightly, stroking his back and running a comforting hand through the long hair that was so much like his own.

"Never…" Madara whispered, blinking back tears. "…I'll never leave you, precious nephew… Not even if my life depended on it… I love you so much, Itachi-kun…"


	3. Chapter 3

Work was hard for everyone that same day. Madara and his best friend, Hashirama, ran a retail shop together, and as it was the only one in the town it got very busy most days, making things difficult.

Though Madara usually stayed out in the office to handle the computer work and money, it was peak hour and Hashirama and his younger brother, Tobirama, couldn't handle everything by themselves - causing Madara to have to go out on the store floor more than he usually did, and that made keeping an eye on Itachi harder.

Though Itachi would usually follow his uncle everywhere, it made it very stressful for Madara when he would be on the registers trying to serve customers. He had to keep a constant eye on Itachi, but he also had to devote his sole attention to the customer at hand – causing Madara to be torn between his nephew and his job.

Itachi would just stand timidly at the other end of the store, trying to avoid the customers, and even though he was still in full view of the registers, Madara normally was terrified for Itachi's sanity - he didn't know if Itachi did it on purpose or not, but the younger Uchiha would stand in the aisle that housed the cheap painkillers.

Madara knew that Itachi could easily reach out and grab a box, taking enough to overdose on without Madara even noticing. That exact reason was why he couldn't afford to take his eyes off of his nephew.

On a normal occasion, once all the customers were served and had left the store, Itachi would almost always hurry back to his uncle's side, grabbing his sleeve and holding it tightly like a lifeline, shivering softly in what Madara could only guess was fear.

But today, before Itachi could make it back to the older Uchiha, Hashirama frowned at the stress on Madara's face and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"I am so truly sorry that you have to live like this…" Hashirama said softly, sympathy in his voice. "It must be so very hard on you…"

Madara nodded, trying his best not to cry – it was all he could do to let Hashirama know that he had heard the older male. Hashirama could sense this and hugged his younger friend tightly, not wanting to let the Uchiha go.

"If you need a break," Hashirama began softly, pulling back enough so he could look into Madara's face, "you can always come to Tobi and I… You know that you're always welcome at our home."

"Thanks…" Madara whispered, wiping at his now-wet eyes. "…Thank you so much…"

"You're welcome, Madara-kun." Hashirama smiled, squeezing the man in his arms. "When does Izuna come back home?"

"Next week… …Hashirama…" Before Madara could finish his sentence, Itachi had made his way to them.

"Oji-san?" Itachi's quiet voice sounded, nervousness in his voice.

"Itachi-kun," Hashirama turned and kindly addressed the young man, "I think you should take Madara-kun home. Tobi and I can take care of the rest."

Itachi only had to take one look at his uncle before nodding. "Okay, Hashirama-san…"

Hashirama smiled and helped Madara out to the tearoom to get his things - it seemed that Madara was on the verge of an emotional breakdown and was so stressed out that he couldn't even stand properly by himself.

-LINERBEAK-

The drive home was silent. Though Madara didn't want Itachi to drive anymore, he knew that Itachi would take extreme care driving right now - he wouldn't do anything to put his uncle in danger, though if Itachi were the only one in the car… Madara didn't want to think about what his nephew would do.

When Itachi pulled up in the driveway, he turned the car off and went to his uncle's side, helping him out of the car and into the house. He took Madara into the living room and laid him down on the couch, sitting down beside him, uncertainty coating his features.

"Madara-oji-san?" Itachi said softly, reaching out to move hair out of his uncle's eyes. "…Are you… Is it because of me that you're feeling so upset at the moment…?"

Madara just looked up at his nephew with sad eyes.

"…" Madara sighed before looking away, not knowing what to say.

Itachi nodded and stood up at this tired display that Madara was showing him. "I understand, oji-san… I know that I've been a burden on everyone… I'll take my leave now."

Madara watched as Itachi stood up and left the room, but he wasn't in the proper mental state to realise what Itachi could have implied by saying those words. Instead of calling Itachi back and keeping an eye on him, he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.

-LINEBREAK-

Madara's eyes opened slowly not long later to a loud, pained groan that sounded from somewhere upstairs. He blinked a few times before the worry instantly hit him like a ton of bricks - Itachi.

_I understand, oji-san… I know that I've been a burden on everyone… I'll take my leave now. _

Those words…

"_Itachi!" _Madara screamed in panic, jumping off of the couch and sprinting as fast as he could to the location of the pained groans. _"Itachi! Itachi, no!"_

Madara flew up the stairs, tripping over the middle steps but getting straight back up and running. He located the groans to have come from the bathroom and though Madara had tried to open the door, it was locked from the inside and Madara's brother had lost the key.

"_Itachi!" _Madara screamed at the top of his voice, so scared that he was crying. _"Itachi! Open the door! Open the door!" _

"Go away…" Itachi moaned weakly from behind the locked door, only causing Madara's panic to rise.

"_Itachi!" _Madara screamed again, clawing at the door hard enough to leave bloodied claw marks on the wood.

When pleading and begging didn't work and another pained groan sounded from inside the locked room, Madara panicked and without thinking, he threw himself at the door with all his weight, finally managing to gain entry into the room after many failed rams.

"_ITACHI!" _Madara screamed as he found his nephew slumped over against the wall, blood pooling around him from his slit wrists and an empty bottle of what _once _contained pills beside him.

Madara froze at the sight, unable to do anything but let out a loud, horrified scream. Itachi… Madara was unaware of breaking down into hysterics as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, ringing for an ambulance. Once he hung up, he sat down beside his nephew, crying hysterically and willing the ambulance to appear out of thin air. He wanted to pull Itachi into a hug but he was too scared to move him in case he hurt him, or...

"Itachi-kun, why…!" Madara whispered, shaking with such emotion that he felt sicker physically than he ever had before from emotion.

Itachi just looked at Madara with clouded eyes, a single tear running down his cheek. He tried to speak, but before a single sound left his mouth, he collapsed to the ground face-first. Madara screamed in absolute terror; he had never been so afraid before – even though Itachi had tried to kill himself many times, this situation was the scariest out of them all. All Madara could think was that he was going to lose his beloved nephew.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke sighed as his friend, Karin, chased after him at lunchtime that same day. "Sasuke-kun, wait!"

Sasuke came to a standstill, waiting for the red-head to catch him. He braced himself for the glomp he knew was coming and frowned when Karin still wouldn't let him go after minutes. He looked over at Jugo and Suigetsu, hoping that they would help him today.

Suigetsu only laughed at the situation, probably trying to come up with new ways to rile Karin up. "Karin, he's not interested in you for the last time! He doesn't like ugly, flat-chested girls!"

"Shut the fuck up, fish-boy!" Karin snapped, hugging Sasuke tighter. "One day he will be mine!"

"Yeah, one day… when that dream comes in your sleep." Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders carelessly as he smirked at Karin, knowing that he was doing the job right.

"Stop fighting, please," Jugo said quietly, standing back away from the group.

Sasuke looked over at Jugo and seeing the insecurity that Jugo was displaying, Sasuke nodded, trying to make the boy feel better. "Yes, guys. Don't fight."

Karin and Suigetsu shut up at these words because out of the four of them, Sasuke was the undeclared 'leader' of the group, and what he said, went. Suigetsu and Karin hated each other, though they would put up with the other only because they both had something in common; they were very close to Sasuke and loved him, though Karin loved Sasuke in a more intimate way and Sasuke was Suigetsu's best friend. Jugo was the quiet one of the group who loved animals and nature and often helped Sasuke pry Suigetsu and Karin apart when they began to hate on each other physically.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun!" Karin exclaimed happily, hugging Sasuke tightly. "Please, forgive me."

Before Sasuke had a chance to reply other than an annoyed grunt, a message came over the P.A, and it was lucky that Sasuke decided to listen to it for once because he very rarely got called over it. "Uchiha Sasuke, please make your way to the front office with your bag, _immediately._"

Sasuke bit his lip at the urgent message - Madara _never _pulled Sasuke out of school without warning, and especially without a medical appointment to be leaving to, so what could have happened - …Itachi?

"Nii-san…" Sasuke unconsciously whimpered, turning to run from his friends and inside the school building and down to his locker, unlocking his padlock and throwing the locker door open, grabbing his bag and running to the front office as quick as he could. He was panting slightly and his worry only heightened when the office staff looked at him with pity in their eyes.

"Your uncle is out the front in the car," one of them said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. "You should hurry… It's an emergency…"

With that, Sasuke was gone.

Outside Sasuke's school, Madara was sitting in the car, crying into his arms as he leant against the steering wall, unable to contain his emotions anymore – they had broken completely as he watched the paramedics burst into the bathroom and carry Itachi away with urgency. Because of this, he had had difficulty driving to Sasuke's school because he was literally blinded by tears, and now that he didn't have to focus so hard on the road, his mind had wandered fully back to Itachi, making everything so much harder. Madara only wished that Sasuke would hurry up so he could concentrate of the road again and hopefully take his mind off of Itachi somewhat. Madara jumped as the back door of the car was slammed into and ripped open and he turned to see Sasuke throwing his school bag in the back before slamming the door closed and rushing into the front seat.

"Madara-oji-san," Sasuke whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes the second his bottom had hit the car seat, "it's aniki, isn't it?"

Madara nodded slowly, wiping at his tears before turning the car back on. He made sure he was able to focus on the road properly before pulling out - he would never do _anything _that could bring harm to any of his family or the few friends that he had, especially his precious Sasuke in this state.

As they drove along to the hospital, Madara listened silently to Sasuke's sobs; Sasuke knew that Itachi had wound up in the hospital because of the way Madara was acting, and the direction Madara was driving in, so the older Uchiha had no need to upset them both more and explain _that, _though he knew he would have to explain the situation sooner or later. The problem was that Madara didn't know what to say to Sasuke - what _could_ he say? I'm sorry, Sasuke, but Itachi locked himself in the bathroom, slashed his wrists and overdosed on pills, but it's okay because I called an ambulance to come and get him?

Instead of speaking, Madara reached out and took Sasuke's hand, squeezing it tightly, letting him know that he would always be there for Sasuke - no matter what. Sasuke squeezed back, wiping at his eyes; he had to be strong right now - he needed to be strong for both Itachi and Madara, seeing as neither of them could do it themselves right now.

-LINEBREAK-

An hour later found Sasuke and Madara sitting silently in Itachi's hospital room, watching the unresponsive boy. Itachi was still unconscious and Madara was heartbroken to see all the machines he was hooked up to. The doctors had explained that Itachi was extremely lucky to be alive, and if Madara hadn't called the ambulance when he did, Itachi wouldn't have made it.

"…" Madara sighed as he remembered this, wiping at his swollen, red eyes before standing up and turning to Sasuke. "…I'm going to call Izuna, Sasuke-kun… He needs to know about this."

Just as Madara placed his hand on the doorhandle, about to leave the room, Sasuke leant over and grabbed Madara's shirt, holding him back. He looked up at his uncle with fear in his eyes.

"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" Madara asked worriedly, not liking how Sasuke was acting.

"…Will Izuna-oji-san be angry with aniki…?" the youngest Uchiha whispered timidly, fear in his voice as he spoke those words.

Madara frowned and shook his head. "No, Sasuke-kun - of course he wouldn't be! He loves both of you so much! You know this!"

"But Izuna-oji-san was really upset last time when nii-san crashed the car on purpose…" Sasuke didn't seem convinced.

"Sasuke-kun, that car was a birthday gift from Izuna… Izuna was terrified when we were told about the car accident, but once we were told Itachi would be fine, Izuna was so relieved… he was just upset about the car… that's all… He was hurt that Itachi did such a thing to such an expensive birthday present… Wouldn't you be the same if you bought someone a fifty-thousand-dollar car only to have them smash it just a week after giving it to them?"

Sasuke nodded, releasing Madara slowly – the older Uchiha _did _have a point... "…Okay… Tell oji-san… you're right… He does need to know…"

Madara nodded and left the room and Sasuke turned to his unconscious brother. He reached out and grabbed Itachi's hand, squeezing it tightly, trying his best not to cry - it hurt so much seeing Itachi like this.

"Nii-san…" Sasuke whispered. "…If you can hear me… please, don't do this anymore… I love you so much, aniki… So, so much… more than you'll never know, because… well… Just, please… please, wake up…"

Meanwhile, Madara stood outside of the hospital, sobbing softly as he waited for his younger brother to pick up his phone. After only a couple of rings, Izuna answered.

"_Nii-san!"_ Izuna greeted excitedly, his ever-present smile obvious through his tone. _"How are things?"_

Madara choked on a sob as he tried to put his thoughts into words and explain things to his little brother. "…Well… otouto… I-I need you to come back… Now…"

"_W-what?" _Izuna seemed startled at these words – Izuna only ever stuttered when he was scared or confused. _"W-why?"_

"…It's Itachi…" Madara felt the tears falling down his cheeks harder as he explained the situation to the younger brother. "…He's… he's in the hospital… He did it again, Izuna…"

Izuna seemed to be stunned, judging by the silence that was all Madara could hear over the other end of the line. _"…" _A small sob could be heard before Izuna spoke again. _"I-I'm on my w-w-way, nii-san."_

With that, the younger Uchiha had hung up, and Madara felt himself losing grip to the agony of almost losing his beloved nephew to suicide.


	5. Chapter 5

It took a day and a half for Izuna to arrive back at the town, and as soon as he did, he headed straight to the hospital. He parked and ran to the reception desk, asking for Itachi's whereabouts. As soon as he was informed, Izuna sprinted to his nephew's room.

"Itachi-kun!" Izuna exclaimed as he ran through the hospital ward door.

Izuna could barely stop his tears as he looked at his nephew lying in the hospital bed. Bandages were around Itachi's wrists and blood drips hooked up to him.

"Oh, Itachi-kun…" Izuna whimpered, collapsing to his knees and taking the unconscious boy's hand gently.

"Otouto…"

Izuna turned at his brother's voice, finding Madara and Sasuke standing in the doorway.

"Mada-nii…" Izuna sobbed.

Madara frowned and leant down, pulling his brother into a tight hug. "You always were the one to cry over everything…" Madara whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

Izuna sobbed louder at those words and hugged Madara back. "I love you, aniki…"

"I love you, too, Izu…"

The two older brothers looked to their sick nephew, both crying at the sight. It was unbearable to see him lying there because he had tried to kill himself.

"Nii-san, you need a rest…" Izuna whispered, looking at his brother's stressed face. "Go stay with Hashi-san and Tobi-kun and I'll stay with Ita-kun."

Madara nodded - he desperately wanted to argue, but he knew that he needed a break.

"Sasuke-kun will stay," Madara said softly. "He wants to stay with his aniki."

Izuna nodded and looked to Sasuke, who was still standing in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks.

"I love you, too, Sasuke-kun…" Izuna whispered. "Please… Never follow your brother's examples."

Sasuke sniffed back tears and nodded, joining the hug. "I won't… I love you, too, Izuna-oji-san…"

"Go call Hashi-san, aniki." Izuna said, touching his brother's face. "The sooner you leave, the better."

"Okay…" Madara left the room, grabbing his phone from his pocket. He dialled the Senju's number.

Izuna sat down on the chair beside Itachi's bed, reaching out and stroking the younger Uchiha's hair. He allowed Sasuke to climb up onto his lap. He hugged the young boy, listening to Sasuke's quiet sobbing.

Itachi was still asleep, and it didn't look like he would be waking up any time soon.

-LINEBREAK-

"I don't understand where I went wrong with him…" Madara mumbled that night at the dinner table.

Hashirama sat across from Madara and was listening to everything that the Uchiha was saying carefully. He knew Madara was in a time of need.

"Madara-kun," Hashirama said gently, "I honestly doubt that this is your fault. You know that Itachi-kun doesn't open up to anyone about anything. It could've been anything that caused this."

Madara nodded sadly, wiping at his wet eyes. "Oh, Hashirama-san…"

Hashirama's younger brother, Tobirama, sat on the other end of the table, eating quietly, keeping his head down - he knew better than to intrude upon one of Madara and Hashirama's conversations - especially when it involved Madara's two nephews.

The younger Senju was silent until his two elders' conversation was finished just a few minutes later.

"How is Izuna-kun?" Tobirama asked. "Is he well?"

Madara was aware of Tobirama's crush on his little brother. He couldn't help but smile. "Izuna is fine, Tobi-kun."

Tobirama blushed as he nodded. "Tell him I said hello if you see him before I do."

"I will, Tobi-kun."

The three were quiet after that, eating in silence. When everyone finished, Hashirama brought out desert and Madara felt himself breaking down again at the mere sight of it. Hashirama had, unfortunately, decided on dango as tonight's desert. Madara had been instantly reminded of his nephew lying in a hospital bed.

"Madara-kun, I'm so sorry…" Hashirama hugged Madara tightly, trying to cheer him up - he had completely forgotten about Itachi's liking to dango, and he felt absolutely terrible about upsetting his best friend so badly. "I swear I didn't…"

Madara shook his head, clinging to Hashirama tightly, crying. "Hashi…!"

Hashirama sat with the Uchiha for a few minutes more while Tobirama sat at the table, feeling terrible for the Uchiha. It didn't take much longer for him to get Madara to his feet and begin walking him upstairs.

"I'm taking him to bed, Tobi." Hashirama explained. "I'll come back down soon."

Tobirama nodded and started cleaning the dishes up. He knew that Hashirama was going to stay with Madara tonight in an attempt to cheer him up. He sighed - he didn't like seeing Madara so upset.

-LINEBREAK-

Itachi woke up the next day. He wasn't happy to see that he was still alive. If anything, he was angry that he had been saved. Izuna and Sasuke were copping Itachi's anger, and neither of them could understand why he was so angry that he had been saved. Neither of them could understand how someone could just want to die so badly.

Sasuke was currently sitting in his chair, crying, and Izuna was just barely containing his emotions.

"Why couldn't you have just left me alone to die?" Itachi hissed. "I was so close that time!"

"Itachi-kun…" Izuna sobbed, the dam finally breaking. He rushed forward, pulling his nephew into a hug. "I love you so much, Itachi-kun!"

Itachi made no move to comfort his uncle - he wouldn't even speak. It was almost as if he didn't care that Izuna was hurting so badly because of him.

"Izuna-oji-san?" Sasuke whimpered, sobbing. "I don't understand…"

"I know…" Izuna whispered back. "…I… I need a rest…"

Izuna gently pried himself from Itachi and kissed his nephew's cheek.

"Oji-san…?" Itachi had glanced up at his uncle, confusion in his eyes. It was enough to instantly melt away all of his anger. "…What are you doing…?"

"I-I'm sorry, Itachi-kun, but I need a rest!" Izuna sobbed, standing up and pulling Sasuke closer to him.

Itachi's gaze softened, and Izuna didn't miss the fear in his eyes. "Don't leave me…"

Izuna sobbed louder as he pulled Sasuke out of the hospital. When they reached the car, Izuna sat in the driver's seat, crying hysterically. Nothing Sasuke tried had brought even a tiny bit of comfort to the distraught male.

**-XX-**

"Izuna-oji-san?"

Izuna looked at the doorway to his bedroom a few hours later, finding Sasuke standing there, shifting in uneasiness.

"Izuna-oji-san, may I speak with you?"

Izuna nodded. "Of course you can."

Sasuke ran into the room. He climbed up onto the bed with his uncle and snuggled in close. "Oji-san, I miss Itachi-nii-san… I love him so much… Like how you love your brother…"

"I know you do, Sasuke…" Izuna wrapped his arms around his nephew. "… I know you do… You both are very desirable young men, Sasuke-kun. I doubt that Itachi-kun would ever love anyone else. You may have a chance."

Sasuke smiled. "You know – you never told us how you and Madara-oji-san got together."

"If I tell you, you can't tell _anyone _or else Madara could be arrested, okay…?"

"I won't." Sasuke promised, turning around on his uncle's lap so that his legs were spread either side of Izuna and their groins brushed against each other.

"Well, as you know – Madara is ten years older than I am, Sasuke-kun. When I was four, Mada-nii started to bring me into his room so that he could touch me and give me pleasure. He taught me how to pleasure him in return and made sure that I knew not to tell anyone about it. He explained that what we were doing was actually forbidden and that if I told anyone, Madara would get in lots of trouble. He… was always careful to make sure that no blame would ever befall upon me…

"When I got older, Madara-nii-san started to finger me – one finger until I got used to it… When I was seven, I gave my virginity to Mada-nii. Madara made sure that I knew just how much he loved me before we had sex, though."

"So you pretty much allowed oji-san to molest you because you liked it?" Sasuke whispered, his eyes wide.

"Yes…" Izuna fidgeted in what seemed to be nervousness. "…It's okay – Madara-nii-san was very gentle and loving and he never forced me to do anything that I didn't want to do. He always made sure that I wanted it first… Please, don't judge my brother, Sasuke…"

Sasuke just smiled, disregarding the last sentence. "You must be extremely experienced, then, oji-san."

"Yes." Izuna couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief – Sasuke wasn't judging him or his brother. He laughed. "Madara-nii and I make love every night."

"I wish my aniki was like Madara-oji-san." Sasuke frowned. "Then maybe he would know just how much I love him already…"

"No, Sasuke-kun… It's extremely dangerous… You'd be so young, and if someone found out…"

Sasuke didn't notice the tears that welled up in Izuna's eyes as he trailed off. "But aniki and I would be very careful! Aniki would be happy and make love to me! …Oji-san, if I can get aniki to love me back, will you teach me some of your skills?"

Izuna couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that depends, Sasuke-kun – I can teach you all about bottoming but Madara-nii-san would need to teach you about being top. I have never topped and I have no desire to."

Sasuke smirked. "You love being dominated. I have to go. Thanks for talking to me, oji-san."

"Anytime." Izuna smiled. "Remember – _that _is our little secret, and don't tell aniki that I told you, okay?"

Izuna winked at his nephew. Sasuke returned the gesture and hurried to his bedroom, eager on getting his things ready so that he could go into town with his friends.

**A/N Don't kill me on Madara being a paedophile! You'll see why I did that later on in the story – but if you noticed the hints at Izuna being upset about something when he was talking with Sasuke, you might be able to guess correctly. Virtual cookies for whoever gets it right!**


	6. Chapter 6

**There was originally a lemon between Madara and Izuna right at the end, but it has been moved to my adultfanfiction account. Sorry for any inconvenience. **

When Itachi was released from the hospital, Izuna had taken him straight home.

Izuna rang Madara while he drove home and told him everything. The elder Uchiha was glad to know that Itachi was okay and had said that he would return home within the next couple of days.

When Itachi and Izuna returned back to the house, Itachi went straight upstairs and into his bedroom. He didn't say a word to Izuna, nor had he even bothered to find his brother.

Izuna, however, wasn't willing to leave Itachi unsupervised. He followed his nephew upstairs, unable to send Sasuke as the boy was still at school.

Izuna knocked on Itachi's bedroom door before opening it. He found Itachi sitting at the desk, crying.

"Are you okay, Itachi-kun?" Izuna asked. He entered the room and sat on the bed, watching the younger.

"…Izuna-oji-san… Why do you love me so much…?"

"You're my nephew – I love you with all my heart. Why do you need to ask that?"

"…He said that I don't deserve love…" Itachi mumbled.

"Who told you this, Itachi-kun?" Izuna whispered. He got up from the bed and approached the younger, hugging him tightly.

"…Orochimaru…"

"Orochimaru…?" Izuna's eyes widened as he realised what Itachi was talking about. Orochimaru was a well-known paedophilic rapist who had been convicted last year for child sexual abuse. "Oh, Itachi-kun, I am so sorry…"

"…He said that I was disgusting for not being able to fight him off… H… He took my virginity…"

Izuna let out a sob and clutching at Itachi. "…Itachi-kun…"

"Izuna-oji-san…! I… I hate my life…! I hate it!"

"Itachi-kun, shh… It's okay… I'm going to always be here for you… I love you so much… It's going to be okay…"

"Oji-san…!"

"Shh, shh…" Izuna sat down on the spare desk-chair next to Itachi and pulled his nephew onto his lap. He rocked the younger slowly. "It's going to be okay… I'll look after you… Hush…"

"Izuna-oji-san…" Itachi sobbed, gripping his uncle's shirt like a lifeline. "…Please, tell me that you understand… Please…"

"I understand." Izuna whispered without hesitation. "I, too, have been raped… Have a sleep, Itachi-kun… Go to sleep…"

In his loving uncle's protective hold, Itachi soon found himself drifting to sleep.

**-XX-**

When Sasuke returned home from school, he was overjoyed to find his brother out in the living room. He was even happier to be told that Izuna was going to move them into the same bedroom so that Itachi could be supervised.

"Itachi-nii!" Sasuke excitedly hugged his brother once he had found the elder upstairs in the bedroom. "Itachi-nii-san, we get to share a room!"

Itachi attempted to smile, but it came out as a frown. "Yeah… That's nice…"

"Aniki…" Sasuke snuggled in close. "…I love you so much…"

"I love you, too, baby brother."

"Boys..." Izuna had entered the bedroom and smiled at the scene before him. Itachi's arms were wrapped around the boy that was snuggling in close. "…Boys, do you want a milkshake?"

Both of the younger boys smiled and nodded. Izuna was just happy to know that already, he had done the right thing.

**-XX- **

That night, both of the younger Uchiha helped their uncle move all of their belongings into the guest bedroom. After hours of setting the room up so that it could accommodate two brothers, Izuna had said that he was too tired to help with the decorating, saying that he needed to sleep.

"That's alright, oji-san!" Sasuke hugged the elder tightly. "Thank you! Have a good sleep, okay?"

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." Izuna smiled. He placed a kiss on Sasuke's forehead before turning to Itachi. "Goodnight, boys. I trust you can do the rest?"

Itachi nodded. Izuna left with only a second glance. Sasuke hurried back to his brother's side and smiled shyly up at the elder.

"Aniki…" Sasuke blushed as he diverted his gaze. "…Is it really okay for me to sleep with you, tonight?"

"Hn…" Itachi nodded again before walking over to the desk. He sat down and pulled a book from the shelf above it.

Sasuke's smile turned into a huge grin as he realised that he could snuggle in close to his brother from now on.

"Aniki!" Sasuke called again, sitting down on the edge of the double bed. "Can we cuddle before sleeping, please?"

Itachi flinched before raising a curious eyebrow – why would Sasuke want to cuddle with _him? _Sure, Sasuke loved receiving hugs, but he tended to shy away from his brother unless he was sad. He had always assumed that Sasuke could sense just how disgusting and dirty he was.

"Sure, Sasuke…" Itachi said quietly, his eyes unable to focus on the book before him.

Sasuke squealed happily, getting up from the bed and running out of the room. Itachi was confused, but he didn't chase after Sasuke. He just wondered what he had done wrong to scare his brother off.

Sasuke ran to Izuna's bedroom. He didn't bother knocking on the closed door, instead throwing it open and running over to the bed. He completely ignored the fact that he had caught his uncle in an act of self-pleasuring.

"Oji-san!" Sasuke hugged the half-asleep Uchiha, nuzzling in close. "Izuna-oji-san, aniki says that we can cuddle before bed!"

"Mm… That's nice…" Izuna seemed to be out of it, but then again – he _was _tiring himself out for bed. "Goodnight… I'll see you in the morning…"

Sasuke nodded. He knew that his uncle couldn't sleep unless he masturbated or someone else tired him out. Thinking about it, it was probably because his body was so used to sexual activity that it didn't function properly.

Hurrying back to his own bedroom, Sasuke glomped his brother.

Itachi couldn't help but smile. He put his book down on the desk so that he could face his brother.

"What has you so happy?" Itachi let out a small laugh.

Sasuke blushed and shrugged. "Well, I just love you is all…"

"I love you, too, Sasuke." Itachi whispered, wrapping his arms around his brother. "…C'mon… Let's go to bed."

Sasuke cheered and nodded, jumping into the bed. He was unable to wait for his brother – tonight would be the closest he would ever get to acting out his fantasies with his brother.


	7. Chapter 7

The next night, Sasuke climbed into bed next to his brother, snuggling in close. Itachi wrapped his arms around the smaller body as he became lost in thought.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to fall asleep, but Itachi was having trouble. He remembered the conversation he had with Izuna and how the older Uchiha had said that he, too, had been raped.

Itachi had never heard anything about that before, and his curiosity got the better of him. He carefully untangled himself from his brother and crept out of the room. He pushed his uncles' door open and peeked in, glad to see that Madara was still awake, nursing his sleeping brother as he watched the TV.

"What are you doing up, Itachi-kun?" Madara asked in a gentle manner as Itachi stepped into his bedroom.

"…I… I need to talk to you about something."

Madara glanced down at his brother. "Can it wait til the morning? Izuna has a fever and he needs to rest."

Itachi was tempted to ask why Madara was watching the TV if he wanted his brother to rest, but he decided against it, seeing as his uncle could get very aggressive when his skills as a brother were questioned.

"Meet me downstairs in five minutes," Madara said in a soft tone.

Itachi nodded and left quickly, desperate for answers. He didn't wait long for his uncle to arrive next to him in the living room.

"What did you want to talk about?" Madara asked.

"Izuna-oji-san and his rape," Itachi answered without much emotion.

Madara gasped as his eyes widened. "H-his rape?! Where did you hear this?! Who told you?! Oh, my poor baby brother! Having been raped! Why didn't he tell me?!"

With that said, he hurried back upstairs, leaving Itachi burning for more answers than ever. Izuna obviously had not told his brother…

What had Itachi done?

**-XX-**

Upstairs, Sasuke's eyes flickered open as loud shouts disrupted his sleep. Why was Madara yelling at… three am in the morning?

With a yawn, Sasuke climbed out of bed and opened the door, seeing that his uncles' door was ajar. Something was wrong.

Sasuke begun to hear his younger uncle's sobs and Itachi's soft voice trying to soothe him as he approached the bedroom.

"Oji-san…" Sasuke said as he entered the bedroom. "Oji-san, why are you yelling…?"

Madara turned to face his youngest nephew, revealing his face red and stained with tears. He looked absolutely heartbroken.

"My own brother doesn't trust me enough to tell me that he had been _raped!"_ Madara spat. "How am I _supposed _to feel about that?!"

"Stop it…" Izuna whimpered as he buried himself closer to Itachi. "Aniki, you are scaring me!"

"Maybe if you had told me so I could help…"

"Don't fight…" Sasuke whimpered. "Don't fight…"

"Come, otouto." Itachi reached out for his brother. 'It's okay."

"Who was it?!" Madara yelled angrily. "Who?!"

"No…" Izuna whimpered. "No…"

"Who are you trying to protect?!"

"N-no one, Mada-nii…"

"Bullshit!"

Itachi let go of his uncle and instead wrapped his arms around his brother. Sasuke was scared. He had never heard Madara fight with Izuna before. The entire situation was horrifying.

"Izuna-oji-san…" Itachi wanted to defuse the scenario before it got any worse. "If I tell Madara-oji-san, will _you _tell…? We can do it together…"

Izuna looked at his nephew with wide, fearful eyes. "I-itachi…"

"Holding that secret is hurting everyone… Even my baby brother. Besides; Madara-oji-san has a right to know."

Izuna choked on a sob before he nodded. He knew that his nephew was right. But why was it so much harder to tell his brother than anyone else?

"Mada-nii, I…" Izuna whimpered.

Itachi grabbed his uncle's hand and held it. "Let me tell him first…"

Izuna nodded.

Itachi took a deep breath before he spoke. "Oji-san… When I was little… Orochimaru-sensei… hurt me… He took me away one night on a school camp, and he… He lied to me… He told me that I was… was… He forced himself upon me, oji-san…"

Madara cried loudly as he pulled his nephew into a tight hug. "Ita-kun… Oh, fuck… Why… Why both of you…? I… I'm so sorry… Izuna… Tell me…"

Amidst his tears, Izuna clutched his brother tightly and sobbed into his shirt. "Mada-nii… Fu… Fugaku-nii… When I had to stay with him before you were moving back to Konoha… He told me that he knew about us… And if I told… _He_ would tell… And you would be taken away… Mada-nii… I was so scared… So, so scared…"

Madara wrapped the two in a tight hug, unable to control his emotions. He cried so hard, probably more than the two victims did themselves that night.

Raising his head from his brother's hair, Madara looked at Sasuke. "Please, go back to bed, Sasuke-kun… Try and sleep…"

"Oji-san…" Sasuke whispered as tears fell down his own cheeks. "Aniki…"

"We'll discuss it in the morning. I love you, Sasuke-kun… Dearest nephew…"

"…" Sasuke kissed his uncle's cheek before he left to return to his own room.

All night long, their cries played through Sasuke's mind.

**-XX-**

The next morning, Sasuke couldn't help but notice that his brother looked happier than he had in over ten years.

It seemed that having finally spoken about his secret had made things easier already.

Madara hummed as he flipped the pancakes, but Izuna was absent.

"Where is Izuna-oji-san?" Sasuke asked.

Madara turned and smiled at his nephew. "He is resting. His fever is still pretty bad."

Itachi smiled at his brother and gestured for him to sit down. "Good morning, otouto. I have good news; Izuna-oji-san and I have agreed to talk to someone about what happened. I feel much better already – free, some would say."

Sasuke's eyes watered and he sniffed. He hugged his brother tightly, crying in his indescribable happiness.

Were things finally going to get better now? He could only hope.


	8. Chapter 8

REA month had passed by and things were much better. Though it had been very hard at the beginning, both Izuna and Itachi were doing very well.

Itachi now smiled much more and had even laughed on a few occasions. He was much more open with his family and has resumed his close status to Sasuke. They did everything together once again, and even Madara and Izuna were closer than ever.

Right now, on some rainy Monday night, Itachi lay away as his brother cuddled in against him, sound asleep.

Tomorrow was a big day for them all – they were all attending the counselling session to be informed about Itachi and Izuna's progress, as well as to receive tips on how to continue helping them.

Itachi was nervous – he wasn't sure how Sasuke would go, but he hoped that the younger would be alright. He was more concerned about Madara; Izuna hadn't made as much progress as he had.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Itachi whispered as he combed his fingers through his brother's hair.

With that, he kissed Sasuke's head and then went to sleep.

**-XX-**

"Itachi-kun has made great progress." Miyuki smiled at Madara and Sasuke the next day. "Izuna-kun has come along well, but I believe that his trauma is more extensive than originally thought and will require much more work. He seems to love you very much."

"He does." Madara smiled back.

"You're his security blanket," Miyuki continued on. "He told me that just as it had happened, he clung to you a lot more, afraid that you'd be removed."

"Oh, that was why?" Madara frowned. "Yes, the second I picked him up, he was too scared to be without me and kept having nightmares. I thought that it was because he had never been away from me before. Oh, my poor Izuna…"

"Itachi-kun, on the other hand, has come along magnificently. Just keep talking to him and spending time with him and I'm sure that he will recover completely."

"Yay!" Sasuke cheered loudly, leaning over and hugging his brother. "Aniki, this is great!"

Itachi smiled and poked Sasuke's forehead. "Love you."

"Love you, too!"

Madara cleared his throat. "What about Izuna? What are we doing with him?"

"Reassurance and comfort is what he needs. He knows that Fugaku cannot separate you now so he finds it easier to leave your side, but he still gets scared. His nightmares aren't as bad as they were when he first came here, so that's good. Keep up the great work, Izuna-kun."

Madara smiled at his brother and kissed his temple. "So no more tears, okay? And no more worrying. I'm not going anywhere."

"Mada-nii…" Izuna sniffed and hugged his brother. "Mada-nii, I love you…"

"I love you, too, baby brother."

Miyuki smiled. "Was there anything that anyone wants to say?"

Everyone shook their heads. Miyuki smiled. She couldn't help but feel overjoyed as she could feel the love in the room.

**-XX-**

That same night, after listening to Madara and Izuna make their most passionate love yet, Itachi was left holding a sleeping – yet aroused – Sasuke.

The younger boy was moaning in his sleep, unconsciously rubbing his hips against his brother. Even in his sleep, he looked to be in pure ecstasy.

"Sasuke…" Itachi smiled, stroking the shining black hair. "I love you."

Itachi didn't know how long he had held such forbidden feelings for his brother, but he did know that now – after finally getting help for himself – his feelings had grown considerably.

The older brother watched as Sasuke brought a hand down to his waist, slipping it into his pants.

Itachi was greatly aroused as well, but he would never, under any circumstances, take advantage of his little brother – especially while he slept. Instead, he watched as his brother reached completion before closing his own eyes and falling fast asleep.

**-XX-**

"Good morning~" Izuna sang happily as he entered the kitchen the next morning. He had never looked so happy and well-rested before. The young man came to his brother's side and kissed the elder's cheek.

"Good morning, oji-san," the two youngest smiled. "You look very well today."

Izuna blushed. "…Well… Aniki took great care of me last night…"

Itachi smiled while Madara sniggered from over at the kitchen counter.

"I heard," Itachi said.

"Really?" Madara turned to smile at his family. "I heard Sasuke. That doesn't happen often."

Sasuke blushed scarlet and ducked under the table. Itachi and Izuna laughed heartily.

"Breakfast is ready, boys," Madara called as he brought a plate of sizzling bacon over. "Sasuke, come out – it's nothing to be embarrassed about. When I was your age, I had many wet dreams each night."

"It's true," Izuna confirmed. "He did."

Madara smirked. "I used to wake up saturated in my own cum – had to change the bed sheets daily. Right, Izu?"

Izuna blushed and nodded. He looked down at his lap and fiddled with his fingers in uneasiness. "…H-he… used to get it all over me…"

Itachi cleared his throat and Sasuke returned to his hiding place under the table.

"That's enough, oji-san…" Itachi said in a soft tone. "I want to eat…"

Madara laughed. "Okay, Itachi-kun. I apologise."

Itachi smiled. "Sasuke, it's over now."

Izuna smirked as his nephew slowly crawled out from under the table and took his seat.

The talk was quiet as everyone ate their breakfast. Sasuke was the first to leave, needing to catch the bus to school. This left just Itachi and his uncles. Izuna was the first to bring up the topic of dating to Itachi.

"When are you going to bring us home a girl, Ita-kun?" Izuna smiled and tilted his head in innocence.

Madara sniggered. "Girl? Don't you mean boy?"

Itachi pegged his uncle with a glare. "Like you're one to talk. Does my preference even _matter?"_

Madara sniggered again while Izuna smiled. "Of course not. We'll always love you no matter who you choose."

Itachi smiled. He knew that Sasuke was the one he loved, and he also knew that if anyone would understand, it would be Izuna – and possibly Madara, though the man probably wouldn't be too happy about it.

"Izuna-oji-san," Itachi begun, "can I talk to you about something?"

Izuna smiled and nodded. "Of course. In private or can my brother listen, too?"

Itachi glanced over at his older uncle, seeing the mischievous grin on Madara's face. He knew that the elder would turn it into a game if he knew.

"Just you." Itachi laughed at the way Madara looked like a beaten puppy. "Sorry, oji-san, but you'd be of no help if you knew."

"…Hn." Madara stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at the wall.

"Now?" Izuna asked. He took a small gulp of his coffee.

Itachi nodded. "I'll meet you upstairs in my bedroom."

**-XX-**

"What did you want to talk about?" Izuna asked as he sat on the bed beside his nephew.

Itachi blushed. "…About what was said before… Oji-san, I don't want a girlfriend… I know who I want… But I cannot have him."

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" Izuna smiled.

Itachi gasped. "How did you know?!"

"Sasuke has come to me many times crying about being unable to be with you. I understand why you didn't want to tell Mada-nii. I wouldn't tell him, either."

"Do you think Mada-oji-san will understand?"

"Well, seeing as he loved his own brother at only four years old… I would say that he understands – but that doesn't mean he'll be happy about it. If you talk to Sasuke, I promise I'll talk to my brother."

Itachi hugged his uncle. "Oji-san, thank you! I love you."

Izuna blushed. "S-sorry, Itachi, but regardless of my relationship with my brother, I wouldn't touch my nephew."

"Oji-san!" Itachi laughed. "You knew what I meant!"

Izuna smiled. "I love you, too. Now go start preparing for tonight. You'll need the time."

Itachi nodded. He watched as his uncle left the room. Izuna was right – he _would _need the time.

**-XX-**

It just so happened that Sasuke had come home sick while Itachi was in town. When the older Uchiha stepped into his room after lunch, he was surprised to find Sasuke in bed, sound asleep.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and approached the bed. He gently shook Sasuke's shoulder, trying to wake him up.

Sasuke let out a groan that Itachi had assumed was due to waking up – until Itachi's lips rolled out of his mouth and Sasuke's erection became obvious.

Itachi felt himself becoming aroused at the sight. He bit his lip. He would never force his brother to do anything – but God, did he look delicious!

Itachi's face blushed as he thought dirty thoughts about his own brother.

Sasuke's eyes opened slowly. "I love you…" He mumbled at the sight of his brother.

Itachi frowned. Did Sasuke know what he was saying…? "You should go back to sleep, otouto…"

"No… I need to tell… to tell you… I… Love you… More than a brother…"

"…Sasuke, you're delirious… Go to sleep…"

"No… Ask Izuna… I told him… He knows… I love you…"

Itachi's eyes watered, unable to trust his brother's words. Even so, it didn't stop him from locking lips with the younger.

Sasuke kissed back eagerly – both of them experiencing their first kisses.

When they broke apart for air, Itachi gazed into his brother's eyes, a burning emotion boring into Sasuke's soul.

"I love you, too, Sasuke…" Itachi whispered. "So much…"

Itachi rested their foreheads together as he slipped Sasuke's clothes off. It didn't take long for Itachi to slip inside and make love to his brother.

**-XX-**

The next day had been nerve-wracking, but both uncle had accepted the new relationship, just glad that Itachi was getting better.

Telling Sasuke about his feelings was the best thing that Itachi could have ever done.


End file.
